Why you should see Churchill«

It's early June 1944. In a few days« time, the biggest landing of the Second World War will take place, opening the famous Battle of Normandy. The plan for this operation, dubbed »Overlord", has been months in the making, refined and perfected. The Allies will land on the coast to liberate France and finally end the war. Only one man doubts this final operation: Winston Churchill.

Jonathan Teplitzky decided to turn this hesitation, spread out over several months before D-Day, the day of the landings, into a film, and to concentrate the British Prime Minister's worries over a few days. An absolute success, judging by the artistic quality of this almost two-hour feature and the great historical moment it brings to light.

Played by the excellent actor Brian Cox, the famous cigar-smoker is going through a period of extreme confusion. The beginning of the film, showing Churchill wandering on the beach, watching for a sea suddenly tinged with blood, immediately brings us to the heart of the scenario. «Beaches always bring back this memory. I've got to stop it happening again.» Inhabited by the memory of the Battle of the Dardanelles, one of the most disastrous setbacks of the First World War, the Prime Minister fears that Overlord will once again result in a bloodbath for the Allies.

The depth of the camera's gaze, combined with the depth of Brian Cox's gaze, transcend the grandeur of this historic moment. With an emphasis on close-ups, a deep, magnificent score by Lorne Balfe, dialogue faithful to the historical characters and a screenplay that reclaims the essentials, Churchill in itself becomes another great moment in history. Of cinema, this time.

The British film also has the merit of focusing on the important role played by the famous politician's wife. In an extremely tense context, Clementine Churchill (Miranda Richardson) was able to remind her husband of his importance to the people, even as he plunged into alcoholism and depression: «Whatever happens, you must give them hope.» Winston Churchill's comic dimension is also finely integrated into the story.

Of course, the absence of General De Gaulle, who played a significant role at the time, and of Normandy, the scene of the action to come, is regrettable. However, this doesn't make the film a «royal turnip», as the title suggests. Le Point. On the contrary. From June 2, 1944, to the «sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month», the film follows a deeply cinematographic approach. And, for once, this biographical film doesn't tell the story of a man's life from birth to death. It's about an episode that will forever be part of our continent's history.

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com